


The Knot-Tying Job

by phnelt



Series: Special Occasions [3]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Families of Choice, Fluff, In this fic they get married, M/M, Multi, Wedding Planning, Wedding traditions, Weddings, that's the whole plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2020-12-27 06:49:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21114485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phnelt/pseuds/phnelt
Summary: Every once in a while someone would ask her to look at some napkins and give a thumbs-up. She learned very quickly that it was better to have an opinion than to say ‘whatever you want.’‘Whatever you want’ led to stress and conversations about whether maybe green and purple (chartreuse and lilac) were not the right colours and maybe the whole wedding book needed to be thrown out. If she just said, ‘no, the fabric is too slippery,’ Alec and Eliot would nod and then go back to their fabric swatches.Some stuff she did have opinions about. Like the cake.Parker had stolen weddings before, but throwing her own was turning out to be much more complicated.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story mostly stands on its own, it features some OCs from 'The Thanksgiving Dinner Job' and the proposal from 'The Jackpot Question' but neither are necessary to read the fic.
> 
> Thanks to Severnaya for the beta!

“--I’m not sure Reverend Washington is going to know what to do here,” Nana was saying. Alec had her up on the Skype. He’d called her about twenty minutes ago to tell her the news, and after the initial excitement, she’d gotten down to the logistics real quick. Parker admired that efficiency. And she thought it was expected -- moms are supposed to get super psyched for weddings. Parker was mostly happy to let her do her thing, but Parker thought she had a good solution to the whole ‘how to officiate a three people wedding’ question, so she popped down from the counter she perched on while Eliot was cooking and popped her head in front of the webcam. 

The little picture window showed Parker she was giving all nostril so she pulled back an inch. “I want Sophie to do it,” she said. Thought for a second. “The talking, part, I mean.” 

Hardison pulled her into his lap so she wasn’t blocking his head anymore. He wrapped an arm around her stomach to anchor her and she reached up to pat his hand, touching their rings together. Parker’s was all soft and squishy so it didn’t make a noise, but she was still getting used to the feeling of something being there on her finger where there used to be only skin. 

Eliot snorted loud enough that she could hear it over the sound of sizzling peppers. “Nate’s not going to like that.” Nate loved being a religious dude, this was true, but Parker wanted Sophie. Nate got too into it, she didn’t want him forgetting himself and talking too much on the day. 

Nana cut in. “Those are...friends of yours?” She sounded suspicious. Parker tried to remember their family cover story. 

“Mmhmm,” Hardison confirmed. “We worked together a little at the beginning. Nate helped me find some accounts to manage before I started doing the financials all on my own.” 

“And this Sophie, she’s ordained?” Nana sounded a bit distant, like she was ticking boxes. 

Parker blinked for a second. That was adorable. Like there was any type of credential or certification that Sophie didn’t have as part of one persona or another. But Parker could be reassuring, weddings were a big deal for the mother of the bride. “Sophie will be amazing,” Parker put in, “She knows how to fix all of the feelings things.” 

“In terms of location, your sister held her reception at the Legion. Depending on the number of guests, we could get that done up nice.” 

Alec was already shaking his head. “Eliot’s got a place all picked out for a destination thing. It’s somewhere in some mountains.” 

Eliot raised his voice. “Kananaskis. It’s a resort in the Rockies.” Eliot came over. Lowering his voice to normal volume, he continued, “Kananaskis is beautiful, right in the mountains; they had G8 there _and _it used to be a Japanese internment camp so it’s going to be trivial to secure the perimeter.” He nodded, satisfied. That was Eliot, always taking care of them. 

Parker reached out and pulled Eliot into frame. As soon as he was close enough, Alec reached his other hand around Eliot’s, locking them together like tandem climbers. 

Nana’s eyes had widened. “That’s...good,” she said. 

Parker frowned. Nana sounded weirded out. Were they being weird? Parker reviewed what they’d said and no, they were being cute. 

She shrugged and let herself zone out while Alec and Nana talked over some other details. 

*** 

Sophie showed up the next day in a cloud of perfume and rustling fabric. Apparently there wasn’t a _moment _to _lose _when it came to discussing arrangements. 

“Of course I’m delighted that you chose me.” She really did look delighted, her eyes were all sparkly and she kept reaching out to touch Parker, just a little, lightly, never so long that it would start to bug her. “I officiated a wedding since the Prince of Norway was marrying that sweet Australian woman -- and that was only so I could liberate myself some truly fantastic jewels. Anyway, that was ages ago! I must do something truly special.” Sophie leaned in, “Tell me, what do you think of the marriage customs of the Mongolians?” Before Parker had to admit she didn’t know anything, Sophie continued, “They jump over fire! It’s spectacular.” Parker did like fire, but Sophie was already waving her hand, “No, no, I understand, you have other more important things to focus on. I shall consider the options carefully.” 

And then she flounced off to go squeeze Eliot, who hugged Sophie back surprisingly hard and then cleared his throat three times. He’d been clearing his throat a lot, lately. Like yesterday, Nana had pulled out some lace thing she’d gotten at her wedding and Eliot had to excuse himself to cough. Parker hoped he wasn’t getting sick. 

Parker looked around for Nate. She found him sitting in an armchair, bottle of scotch balanced on one arm, glass of scotch in the other, clearly sulking. He’d get over it. 

*** 

Nate was not getting over it. 

He sighed loudly whenever any of them mentioned anything about the wedding. When Sophie asked Eliot if they were going to have a chuppah, and potentially also a ceremony where they circled each other, he asked loudly if that was going to be some sort of figure eight since there were two grooms and only one bride. When Alec frowned at him with big eyes Nate just put up his hands and retreated to his armchair. 

Enough was enough. 

Parker stalked over to him, hands on her hips. “What if I told you we made a very special job for you to do in the wedding?” 

Nate eyed her. “Are you trying to buy me off?” 

“Is it working?” Parker was not above any sort of trick. This wedding was very important to Eliot and Alec and it was only six months away -- she’d planned multi-site heists on less, but apparently this was tight for a wedding with fifty guests -- and Nate was not going to ruin it for them. Not on Parker’s watch. 

Nate tilted his head. Then he took a sip of his drink and smiled. “Potentially. What did you have in mind?” 

And that’s how Nate became their wedding planner. It was suited to his skills. Nothing said ‘Nate’ quite like bossing people around. 

*** 

After that, Parker was left with very little to do. 

Starting three months out they weren’t taking any jobs aside from running the brewpub, so she had a lot of time to update her equipment and try out a new ‘extreme bouldering gym’ that had just opened. Spoiler alert: she could have climbed those fake rocks in her sleep. When she was twelve. Well maybe not twelve, she hadn’t really had the grip strength for some of those ledges til her last growth spurt. But the principle was the same. 

Every once in a while someone would ask her to look at some napkins and give a thumbs-up. She learned very quickly that it was better to have an opinion than to say ‘whatever you want.’ 

‘Whatever you want’ led to stress and conversations about whether maybe green and purple (chartreuse and lilac) were not the right colours and maybe the whole wedding book needed to be thrown out. If she just said, ‘no, the fabric is too slippery,’ Alec and Eliot would nod and then go back to their fabric swatches. 

Some stuff she did have opinions about. Like the cake. 

Cake testing was one of the best days of her _life. _The company brought out fifteen slices of cake, every flavour combination and all she had to do was eat them. 

The caterer person pointed at a red velvet cake. “This one is a preferred option for clients who are focusing on flavour over look,” she said, like it wouldn’t be insanity to pick a cake that tasted bad. Cake should be for eating! “The cream cheese frosting is a vibrant white, avoiding some of the yellowing issues that a traditional buttercream can display on film, while at the same time maintaining a richness and softness that fondant lacks.” 

Alec nodded like that made sense while Eliot was staring lasers into the cake, which was pretty much their normal reactions to food. At this point, Parker was buzzing so hard the cake lady was going in and out of focus. 

But she knew what she wanted. 

“That one,” Parker said, pointing. The cake lady winced and Parker realised she was shouting. “That one,” she said again, whispering. 

Nate interjected, “I believe Parker is pointing at the peacock illusion cake.” Parker jumped. She forgot he was sitting there. 

And _of course _Parker wanted the peacock illusion cake. It had candy inside of it. If you cut into it, candy poured out like the world’s best pinata. She must have it. 

The cake lady nodded, eyes darting between the four of them. Parker was pretty sure she hadn’t figured out who was actually getting married, and so who actually made the decisions, but she was being game nonetheless so Parker liked her. Or maybe that was just the cake talking, who knew! 

“Very good,” cake lady said. “And for the rest of the guests?” 

Worlds were opening up inside of Parker. “The rest?” She asked, almost breathlessly. 

“The peacock showpiece only feeds twelve. What other cakes would you like for the rest of the guests? Cupcake trees have become fashionable.” 

“Yes.” Parker said. 

The lady paused. “Yes to what?” 

“To more cake.” 

*** 

She was crashing hard when she Skyped Peggy later. At first, she’d thought Peggy would be a good caterer, but Eliot had made a good point about maybe Peggy not wanting to have to work at her friend’s wedding. Eliot was full of good points, Parker thought sleepily. He’d come up with the idea of the cake spiral, a tower of cupcakes of twelve different flavours. 

“Sounds like cake tasting was pretty great.” 

“Best...ever,” Parker mumbled, leaning on her hand. 

Alec burst in. “Oh hey, Peggy,” he said and didn’t wait for a response before he shoved some glossy cards into her hand. The gilt lettering was blinding. “Speaking of,” speaking of what, Parker wanted to ask but didn’t dare. “We need to get our STDs sent out like, yesterday, so I need your list of invitees ASAP.” 

Parker giggled. “STD,” she said to Peggy, who didn’t laugh. Nate would think this was funny, where was he? 

“Parker, I would love an STD,” Peggy said. “Do you have my updated address?” 

Was she the only one not losing her mind? 

*** 

The answer was yes. When she tried to pass an STD -- still funny -- to Amy on her break at the brewpub, Amy got offended. 

“No, no, Amy, she can pick whoever she wants for a bridesmaid, stay cool,” Amy muttered to herself. “It’s her wedding.” 

Parker had missed something. “Do you...want to be a bridesmaid, Amy?” Parker asked, trying to understand what Amy was saying. 

“Yes! Of course! Thank you so much for asking, I will be the best bridesmaid ever. I have seen the film Bridesmaids seven times and I know exactly what not to do.” Amy threw her hands around Parker and Parker awkwardly clenched back, bemused. Apparently she had a bridesmaid now. 

“Who is your maid of honour?” Amy asked that question the same way Parker would ask if someone had the cash; utterly serious and ready to do violence if they didn’t have the right answer. 

Parker thought fast. “My friend Peggy. She lives in Boston.” 

“Give me her number.” Amy pulled back, but just enough to grab Parker by the shoulders. “Don’t worry, we’ll handle everything. What are your wedding colours?” 

Parker wasn’t sure what was happening. It felt like recently everything was being handled by someone else who all acted like Parker was supposed to be handling something. It’s like those dreams everyone had, where she’s in a rig about to use a diamond cutter to get into a secure museum case, and then she realises that actually it’s a water gun. And she’s naked. Parker had the suspicion that any moment she’d look down and someone would say, “You had one job, Parker, where are you going with that water gun?” 

But that day hadn’t come yet, so she told Amy about chartreuse and lilac. 

*** 

Parker was bored so she’d draped herself over Eliot’s shoulders while he was reviewing a pile of papers with pictures attached. 

Parker heard Sophie’s heels click by towards them but she didn’t move. 

“Oh, you’re auditioning wedding security?” Sophie asked, grabbing at the stack. 

“_Interviewing. _Interviewing security, Sophie,” Eliot said, smacking the papers, gently, out of her hands. 

Not very effectively because Sophie picked one up again. “What about this gentleman? He looks sufficiently glowering and intimidating.” 

Eliot’s eyes flicked over to the paper for the barest of seconds. “Kenneth. He’s a no. He’s been staffing a security company in the Niger Delta for the last few years.” 

Parker and Sophie just stared at him blankly. 

“You worked with him before?” Sophie asked, delicately. 

“A few times.” When Eliot said the words, they were tinged with some misery. After all this time, Parker knew Eliot well enough to know he was thinking about his own history and the things he’d done. 

“But not anymore,” Parker said firmly, trying to remind him. They’d changed together -- none of them were the people they were before. 

“Yeah.” Eliot shook himself. “We need someone who can do non-violent crowd control. It’s been too long since Kenneth had to deal with anyone he couldn’t blast with napalm.” 

“Alec’s cousin Andre is be coming so,” _napalm might be appropriate, _she didn’t finish, but knew Eliot heard anyway. 

Eliot looked tempted before a second but then he shook his head and put the paper away. 

“Why can’t Shelley do it?” Shelley had impressed Parker with his punching skills, they were almost as good as Eliot’s. Parker would never admit that anyone could punch as good as Eliot, but Shelley was up there. He’d come to a few other poker nights, but Parker best remembered when he came to help her boys take down two gangs and rescued Hurley. An eventful evening. 

“He’s my best man.” 

Parker frowned. “Alec’s not going to like that.” 

Eliot looked immediately concerned. “Why not?” 

“Alec wants to put the people with the greatest chance of objecting as far to the back as possible.” Parker knew this because Alec had been darkly muttering about this last night while staring at some colour coded spreadsheet. 

“Oh for the love of -- Shelley is not trying to steal me back.” Eliot threw down a paper and stalked off. 

“How about a traditional handfasting?” Sophie asked, spreading her hands across the table. 

Parker shook her head. “I break out of handcuffs.” 

“Right. Not the metaphor we’re going for.” 

*** 

Parker was bouncing back into the bedroom, a little buzzy, feeling like going for a run, when she saw Alec huddled under the blanket on their bed. She checked her phone, but she knew what it would say, which was a time that was way too early for bedtime, way too late to be getting up. 

She tapped on her phone. 

“Alec?” 

The bundle that was Alec shuddered a little but didn’t say anything. 

Eliot burst in. “What happened?” He growled. 

Alec threw the blanket off his head. 

“Some of the Hardisons are having a hard time coming in.” 

Parker processed that. “Andre?” She asked hopefully. 

Alec just threw the blanket back on his head. 

Eliot and Parker exchanged a look. Parker slid in behind Alec and Eliot took the front, gently wrestling him out of the blankets. 

Once they had Alec safely pinned down, they got him talking. 

“Apparently,” Alec said with maximum irony, “some of the cousins are having a hard time getting their passports sorted out.” 

“So we need to forge some documents?” Parker said. This seemed like a solvable problem to Parker. 

“That’s just Nana’s nice way of telling me some people don’t want to come. Nana said, maybe if didn’t call it a wedding, but.” 

Eliot stiffened and looked down. “But we want to say we’re married.” Eliot said, voice gravelly. 

Alec nodded. 

Parker wasn’t stupid, she knew some people thought weddings were for two people, and between one penis and one vagina only. But it still seemed, small, and petty, and sort of stupid. She’d seen some of Nate’s plans, this wedding was going to be the event of the century. Personalised centrepieces; where else were you going to get that? 

“It’s just not what I thought my wedding would be like, you know?” Even without the blanket, Alec still sounded muffled. 

“I know,” Eliot said, heavy. “My cousin got married on her dad’s ranch, whole passel of relations drove in. Half the town came in, some I’d never seen before and we danced til it got grey out, the sun just coming back up.” He wasn’t smiling when he described it. “I thought that would be me, one day.” 

Parker was waiting for the bit where he said, ‘But this is better, so buck up Alec! Be an early worm, get that bird.’ But he didn’t. He just lay down and Alec pulled Eliot in, face pressed against Alec’s chest. 

Parker gave them both a pat, cause they weren’t going anywhere. 

*** 

They lay there for a long while. 

Eventually, Alec’s stomach rumbled and they did have to get up, but Parker had a lot of time to think. 

Parker waited til after they had been fed and watered. She’d learned this trick from Sophie. If you wanted the mark to break, make them hungry. If you wanted them happy, get them fed. 

“About earlier,” she started and they both drooped like sad flowers. “This is what I mean! You’re the ones who want to get married, and it’s making you miserable! I don’t understand why. This is something that should make you feel good, and it’s not, and I need you to tell me why so we can figure out what to do about it.” 

She whirled on Eliot. “Don’t tell me it’s not making you miserable, it’s not just today, I saw the meltdown you had at the security interviews.” 

Eliot had stopped dead and turned to stare at her. “You don’t want to get married?” He asked, voice dangerously quiet. That voice wasn’t for fun chats, that was the voice of ‘When I say ‘go,’ get down and crawl to the door.’ Or, ‘before you, I never got to feel like I was a person, first, and a weapon second.’ 

She didn’t know why he used it right now. 

So she shrugged. 

“You don’t want to get married,” Eliot said, flatly. He rubbed his face with his hand and collapsed onto the couch. It’s a full ragdoll, rather than a controlled descent. 

She looked at Hardison to see if he could explain, but he was also just staring, eyes wide. 

Parker frowned, tried to explain better. “I don’t really care. You already told me you love me, and you promised not to leave,” which was the important thing, she thought, the promising. “The wedding thing seemed important to you, so I figured, why not?” The only person Parker knew who was married was Archie. She’d spied on his house a few times when she was younger. 

He’d have dinner with his wife, but they wouldn’t talk very much, and they’d sit together in one of his big rooms with the stuffed furniture and read together. A couple of times one of his kids would be there and they’d watch TV instead. Then they’d go to sleep on their opposite sides of the bed, turn out the lights. 

It didn’t seem that exciting. Parker didn’t get what the big deal was. What Parker and Eliot and Alec had was way better than that. 

Nate had been married, and Maggie was so cool! Way too cool for Nate, and actually Sophie was too. So maybe marriage was just a way to trick awesome people into staying with less awesome people -- except that Maggie had left Nate and also none of them had to trick each other. They’d all chosen each other freely. 

At the end of the day, Parker didn’t really know or care about weddings and marriage. But she knew Eliot and Alec cared about it, and she did care about them, and this was something they both wanted for the three of them. And she liked giving them what they wanted, and this one was so easy. All she had to do was show up, say some stuff, and eat some cake. 

Or it was easy until they’d started expecting her to have _opinions. _Cause with opinions she can be wrong -- and from their expressions, she said something wrong now. 

“Why not? That’s not a good reason to get married.” Eliot echoed, hand back over his face. 

Parker rolled her eyes. Alec would know how to cheer Eliot up. 

“Alec, make Eliot --” 

Alec cut her off. “What is happening?” He asked, eyes shining, bewildered. 

“That’s what I’m asking! I just wanted to know why you are miserable.” 

“Well, Parker,” Eliot said from the couch, voice still flat, eyes still covered. “Right now it’s cause we think you don’t want to get married and maybe we’ve been forcing you to go along with it and we’ll have to cancel the wedding.” He paused. “And I guess also maybe you’ll leave us cause we’re assholes.” 

Parker’s jaw dropped open. “What?” The question came out more as a puff of air than an actual sound. That was so, so ridiculous. Maybe even stupid. Someone would have to run an elaborate heist to pry her out of this relationship; that was the only way she was going anywhere. 

Alec had made his way over to join Eliot on the couch, sitting at the far end, leaning forward, head in his hands. Both of them were sitting very still. If she took a picture and made a flipbook, it would look like one person rocking back and forth. Back, hand over eyes like Eliot, forward, hand in head like Alec. So she guessed that meant Alec agreed with Eliot. 

“We should have known,” Alec said, voice hollow. “Remember when we asked about wedding colours and Parker said black was sneaky?” Black was her favourite colour, it went with all the funnest things to do. Stealing? Check. Climbing things? Check. Sneaking up on people? Yes. 

Eliot hummed and said, “Or when I asked her about a sit-down reception versus circulating canapes and she said that milling waiters was the best way to hide a good lift?” That was also true! 

Alec gave a small _ha. _“Or when --” 

Parker had enough, time to put a stop to this. She crouched down between them. “Look at me,” she said, and they unglued their hands from their faces. 

She reached out both of her hands, making little grabby motions. Eliot gave her his left hand, Alec his right, and she gripped them. She suppressed the sudden hysterical urge to make them do the wave. This clearly called for some serious emotional smart stuff. 

Luckily, she was great at that. 

Many hours of Sophie twitching her left eye at something Parker said flashed through her mind all at once. _Don’t think about it, _she scolded herself. _She could do this._

Maybe some facts would help? She could do facts. 

_Start with an obvious one, _she thought. “I want to be with you and I never want to break up.” Parker gave their hands a squeeze for emphasis. 

Eliot let out a whoosh of breath and squeezed her hand back. They both looked at Alec but he was just braced. 

“But?” Alec asked. 

Parker shook her head. “No buts. We’re not breaking up.” She thought he still looked a little suspicious, but he gave her a short nod. 

She started up again. Item two: “Marriage isn’t that big a deal. To me.” Alec opened her mouth and she shook her head. She wanted to get through her whole list. “No, really. I don’t have any opinions about it. It’s never been a big part of my life. But,” there was a but, actually, “I know it’s important to both of you.” Alec and Eliot treated this wedding like it was a real Faberge egg -- similar to others, but still rare, fragile, and very precious. They tended to it, thought about the details of how to protect it. Parker liked that. “I like that getting married is something nice I can do for you.” She smiled a little at them, but they just looked back at her. Tough crowd. 

Alec cleared his throat. “Can I speak now?” She nodded, pleased that he waited, that he asked. “Parker -- Eliot back me up on this -- weddings,” Alec waved his free hand in the air a little, “should be a bigger deal than, say, watching all the Star Wars movies with me.” He sped up a little, “Don’t say you actually wanted to watch them, I know you did it just cause I think they’re an important cultural touchstone.” She hadn’t been about to argue, actually. She never would have watched Star Wars without Alec. No regrets though, CGI Yoda was still great. 

Why was it different? 

“Why?” Parker asked. It just kept coming back to this and no one was explaining it to her. All of her questions were the same question. “Why does it have to matter more than that?” 

The silence carried. 

Then Eliot said, “When Alec first asked -- when we first talked about getting married,” he stopped for a second, swallowed. “I was really happy.” Parker remembered. He did the crying thing where the water still stays in the eyes. “I was happy because you both wanted,” he paused for a second, “wanted it.” 

Eliot cleared his throat. “Weddings are about standing in front of everyone who matters and telling them just how much you love someone. Love them in such a way that you want to make them promises.” He looked at her, dead in the eye and she could see that little look of desperation he got whenever he had to talk for more than forty words in a row. He once told her if you needed to use that many words you’d be better off doing something useful instead. 

“Not just promises in the dark, but in public, out loud, so everyone knows and can hold you accountable. It’s a _covenant,” _he says the words reverently, the first time Parker’s ever heard him say something so religious. “It’s about putting love in community.” 

Parker looked over at Alec and felt like he was wearing her face. They were both blinking a little, mouth dropped open. She never felt more connected to Alec than when they were both loving Eliot with everything they had. 

“Yeah,” Alec said, voice hoarse. “That.” 

Parker rocked back and forward, moving her weight from heel to toe, as she thought. 

People are like locks, and now that Eliot and Alec can open some of hers, they can get inside and see what’s there, move it around. That’s a lot of danger. It would be so easy for them to steal away something she needed, but they never do. It’s a special thing, she never expected it to even be possible. 

If a wedding is everything Eliot says, it’s a chance for them to tell everyone else that, so they know how careful they are with each other. 

Everyone should know that. 

“Ok,” she said. 

Alec tilted his head. “Uh, Parker?” 

“Let’s get married.” 

Eliot’s lips quirked. Alec squinted at her. “Just like that?” 

“Well, no,” she said. “I’ve got a lot of things to do, I think there’s a clipboard around here somewhere.” 

Eliot collapsed forward, pressing his face against Parker’s neck. Alec watched them for a moment before Parker pulled on his hand and he came down too. 

Then Alec turned his head and devoured her mouth. She made a surprised noise, Alec’s kiss was possessive, consuming. 

For a moment, that was the only parts connecting her and him, Alec’s hand on hers, her mouth on his; two points of warmth. 

Below, Eliot was kissing her neck, working his way up the the side to her jaw and back down. Eliot brushed his lips lightly and his slight scruff tickled and she jumped, disconnecting her from Alec. Immediately, she let out a moan as Eliot bit down on the place he’d tickled. 

“Oh, I like that,” Alec said, and ducked his head to help Eliot out. Between the two of them, she was gasping, a mixture of feather light touches and powerful pressure -- unpredictable. 

She started making grabby motions, desperate to touch, and with persistence and thief fingers, she worked Alec and Eliot’s shirts off and --yes!-- she now had all of this delicious skin that she could touch as much as she wanted. 

“Bed,” she thought she heard Eliot say but it was muffled. 

She pulled on his hair a little, to get him to lift his head up. His eyes went a little glassy. 

“Bed,” he said, more clearly. 

She nodded. 

No one made a move, all of them clearly reluctant to stop touching each other. It felt like they had just come back from some ledge. Which was ridiculous because they were just in the living room, but that’s what it felt like. 

Someone was going to have to be the proactive one, which, as usual, meant her. 

“Race you!” She said, and made a break for it. 

Alec caught her halfway up the stairs and pressed her into the wall, kissing her again. 

A clink of a buckle caught her attention and she broke away to see Eliot doing away with his pants. He was now extremely naked and Parker’s mouth went dry. 

“Dibs,” Alec said, licking his lips. 

“You can’t dibs a person, Alec,” Eliot said, exasperated, but Parker just nodded. A dibs was sacred. 

“Fine, but no hogging.” 

Eliot made a noise which might have been laughter, but Parker just grinned at him and reached for his hand. She hauled him up and finally they made it into the bedroom. 

She bounced onto the bed, wriggling out of her pants. 

Eliot stopped midway through the door. Parker was already licking her fingers to slide them against herself, feet firmly braced on the bed. “C’mon Alec, you said dibs, do something.” 

That spurred Alec into action and he crushed Eliot against him, lips to lips, chest to chest. Parker knew that Alec would be heating up, a blush you couldn’t see but that still set the world on fire. Oh yeah, this was the good stuff, she thought, and lightly flicked her fingertips up and down, a bare tease. She was starting to ache. 

Alec kissed Eliot til Eliot was whimpering and panting. 

“Good?” Alec asked. 

“Mm-hmm,” Parker said. 

Alec nudged Eliot towards the bed and fell towards her. 

“Hi,” she said to him, smiling and petting his hair a little. 

“Hi,” Eliot said back. 

Then she gave him a little nudge and he moved down her chest, lips tracing a path down and his hands swept up her sides, til he got to her nipple. Now, Parker had very sensitive nipples. They’d proven it when Alec and Eliot had made her come just by licking them. It had been a very confusing orgasm, cause her body felt like something else should have been going on, but still very pleasurable. And Eliot set about using all his skills, starting below the nipples, just feeling the space, as it were, before starting to gently draw circles with the tip of his tongue. 

Parker let her eyes drift closed. 

She felt the bed shift beside her as Alec joined them. Without opening her eyes, she turned her head for a kiss. 

Parker felt the warmth start to grow within her, and with it some restlessness. She rubbed her legs together, chasing friction. 

Alec gently pushed on her shoulder and she got the message. Taking Eliot with her, she rolled onto her side. Eliot was facing her. He kissed her face a couple of times, purposefully missing her lips. He got her eyebrow, her temple, the tip of her nose, and then he wiggled back down to get at her chest. 

She liked this though, she could feel him all along the length of her. And it got better with Alec slid in behind her, nuzzling her neck. He lifted her leg and she pointed it straight out. She could have held that position, but he gently lowered it back down and --oh. He’d slicked himself slightly and now his hardness was trapped between her thighs. When he shifted, the tip of his cock hit her clit and she got sparks. When he pulled back, she got enough friction to soothe the ache. 

He held her hip and slowly rolled his hips against hers. All the while, Eliot kept up the wicked work of his mouth, using his hand every once in a while to flick her other nipple. He’d switch back and forth whenever he sensed a change in her breathing. 

She realised she was moaning, beyond caring about the noises she was making. 

She needed more. 

“Alec, Alec,” she was pleading. 

“Yeah?” He asked, pulling her against him. She bucked, seeking more pressure, more friction. 

“I want you inside.” 

Alec pulled away and she shivered, cold now without his heat. 

Then he was back, and sliding in and the friction was all-consuming. She bore down, happy to have him inside, wanting to feel all of it. 

Alec set up a steady rhythm and Parker pushed back against him. It was almost too much, Alec inside of her, Eliot sending sparks behind her eyes every time he flicked a nipple. 

She needed Eliot closer. She yanked on his hair and he looked up at her, dazed. 

“Kiss me,” she said. 

“But…” he said, staring at her breasts. Her nipples had gone all pink from what he’d been doing. 

“Kiss me,” she said as firmly as she could manage, which was a little breathlessly since Alec hadn’t let up. 

He came up and kissed her, rubbing his hard cock against her stomach, leaving slightly sticky trails. 

She felt perfectly held up between them, pressed against the full length of them. It was like being in a small duct in a building, all safe and cozy. Except better than that because she was with her guys and she was going to have an orgasm at some point. 

Parker grabbed Eliot’s butt to grind him against her and realised that Eliot and Alec were holding hands over her body. She liked that. She wanted a picture of it so she could look at it and say _aww_. 

Alec was panting a little and she knew it wouldn’t be long for him. It felt nice -- she didn’t want it to stop -- but it wasn’t going to get her anywhere. She kind of liked that, actually, being able to just enjoy instead of getting all frantic. 

She tangled her feet with Eliot, which kind of shifted their angle. Instead of getting her dead on, her knee had come up a bit and Alec was draped over her back, pressing her down on top of Eliot. It felt just a little bit deeper and Parker moaned. She wanted Alec to fuck her into Eliot, until their bodies were stuck together and you couldn’t tell where she ended and he began. 

Too soon, his hips were juddering and he pressed himself all the way into her, thrusting two, three times before he stilled. 

She wanted to give him time pull himself together but waiting time was over, she wanted to come _now. _

“Condom, Alec, come on,” she said, after waiting a heroic interval of at least three seconds. 

“Uh, right,” he said, and pulled himself out. 

She hissed, trying to keep him inside. 

“I know, I know, but I need to get Eliot a condom, that’s what you want.” He was trying to pet her a little, soothing. 

She nodded, her brain knew that but her body was just screaming at her to do something about the burning inside of her. 

Eliot was nuzzling the top of her head, but nothing would soothe her right now. She dug her nails into Eliot’s side and he hissed. She smiled, that was better. Gentleness was over -- now she wanted to feel it. 

She rolled off of Eliot impatiently as Alec slid the condom on him. Eliot’s penis jumped when Alec touched it, and she thought that it was as desperate as she was. 

Alec had barely removed his hand when she swung her hips over Eliot’s and sunk down. He let out one long moan, not pausing until she’d taken him to the root. 

She sighed, satisfied. Lifted herself almost all the way up, slid back down. Did it again, and this time he tried to follow her. Points for initiative, but she was in charge now. It was a trifle to keep his hips where she wanted them. 

Alec slid behind her, flush against her back again, but this time he slid his hand down over her front until his fingers brushed her clit. 

She shivered, this time not from the cold. 

All he did was press his fingers, but that’s all she needed, she could take it from here. 

She rode Eliot hard as he gripped her hips for dear life. She didn’t pull off very far, not anymore, but she ground down as much as she could, pulling him all the way in. 

She kept going til she started to feel it a little in her thighs, which meant that Eliot must be absolutely dying, but he didn’t complain. He just bit off little moans and gripped her hips so tight she thought there might be bruises. What a lovely thought, that she’d carry a memento of what they did together on her body to go with her engagement ring. 

Visible proof of what they were to each other. She got it now. 

She bared her teeth savagely and sped her hips, rocking against him now. 

“Parker, please,” Eliot begged, and it was music to hear ears. He made her feel so wanted. 

“Alec,” she said, and stilled her hips. He rubbed her clit faster, going in circles now as she clenched down on Eliot. There it was. She felt it coming and helped it along by rocking back and forth just a little -- not enough to dislodge Alec, but enough she could feel Eliot moving inside of her. 

She shattered, broken cries coming from her mouth as she collapsed forward, falling onto Eliot’s chest, knocking Alec’s fingers away as the pressure became unbearable. He thrust up, each thrust setting off another wave inside of her until it was a tsunami, pleasure so powerful her vision went white. 

Parker didn’t notice when Eliot came, only when he gently helped her off him and onto the bed. 

She cracked an eye. “I’d tell you again how much I want you both, but I don’t think I can move.” Well, she probably could. If it was a real emergency. Like if there was only one chocolate bar left or something. 

Eliot just smiled at her. 

“You worked hard, babe,” Alec said, “Let me.” 

She wasn’t sure if he meant the sex, or before with all of the feelings. She supposed it didn’t really matter. 


	2. Chapter 2

They didn’t end up cuddling very long. Alec’s stomach gurgled and Eliot said, “Ugh, fine,” and jumped out of bed. 

Parker and Alec watched him go. 

“The ass on that man, mm!” Alec said and Parker hummed her agreement. 

Then she thought for a second. “He should put on some pants if he’s going to use the stove.” That’s one of Eliot’s Kitchen Rules -- no pants, no bacon. 

“He knows what he’s about.” Alec rolled to face her. “Speaking of, can we talk more about the wedding thing?” 

She thought that was settled. “Should we get Eliot?” She levered herself up a bit, thinking about getting up, deciding that she’d really rather not. 

“In a bit,” Alec said. “I want to let his feelings meter go down a little.” 

Parker snorted. It did feel like that a little bit, only so many emotions before Eliot started to steam a little and he needed to let the pressure go down. 

“You don’t have to do this, Parker, we can call it off.” Point to Hardison, he didn’t even sad when he said it, trying so hard no to guilt her, probably. 

Parker said, “I know.” She hesitated, “Can you just take my word for it? That I want it?” 

“Probably too late for that, we were doing that before and it didn’t work out so good.” He rolled onto his back. “But I guess there’s not a lot more you could say. It’s not like you can drop down a driver’s license as security.” 

That was true. Convincing people was one of the harder parts of emotions, but it was worth it for them. And it was going to be worth it for this. Parker promised herself, she’d show him. 

She nodded, planning to get up after all but Alec said, “Could you...do you got somewhere to be?” 

Parker looked back at him and the rumpled sheets. She didn’t even want to get up, not really. She laid down, half sprawled on top of Alec and he pulled her in to his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, even and steady. 

“I like being here,” she whispered. 

He pulled her in a little tighter. 

*** 

“Hey, Nate?” Parker let him mumble through his greeting. “I’ve got something I need your help on.” 

*** 

Parker’s been mapping out different routes in Portland; a doughnut route, a rose root, fun ways of thinking of different escape routes. 

Alec snagged her when she came back. “Hey, Parker, Nana wanted to talk with you.” 

Parker peered at the screen and sees Nana’s pixelly face. “Hey, Nana!” Nana and Alec have been talking every day going over details. 

“I’ll leave you to it,” Alec said, pecking her on the cheek. 

Parker swung around the camera around. 

Nana said, “Now I might be overstepping,” in a tone that meant she absolutely did not care if she was, “but it occurred to me that without a mom, you might not have anyone to go with you to your dress fittings.” 

Parker’s brain went full beginning of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. That feeling? Of forgetting something? Parker had not gotten a dress. Parker had not looked at a dress. The Eliot inside her brain said, ‘You had one job -- dammit, Hardison.’ And this was sucky timing, after her whole speech about wanting to have a wedding. Alec would definitely take this as another sign, but it didn’t mean that! She just forgot. 

Her face must have done something because Nana was looking at her eyes soft as they ever went. “Oh, honey, just tell me where and when.” 

Panic. Parker could not invite Nana to a dress fitting for a dress that did not exist. She tried to mumble something, eyes looking around the room for an exit route, anything. 

“I’ve married two daughters, so don’t you worry, I will get you up to that altar.” Parker wasn’t even sure if they were having an altar, Parker thought hysterically, Sophie had been saying something about the metaphor of inter-weaving ribbons symbolised in the Maypole. 

Parker closed Skype, immediately called up Sophie. 

“Oh Parker, that’s not nearly enough time for you to get something custom, you’ll need to set up some salon visits.” Parker’s heart sunk. She didn’t even know what that meant. “Where’s your maid of honour? This is the type of emergency for her to handle.” 

So Parker called Peggy and she called Amy and when the screaming subsided, they had a plan. 

*** 

The dresses were, objectively, beautiful and thanks to years of training with Sophie, Parker could imagine each type of woman who would wear them. First, the romantic lace with sash for the young bride looking for a husband to protect her from a world that was just as vicious as her parents had told her. Then the sweetheart necked satin for the woman who means business cause business was the centre of her life. A hundred dresses, a hundred women, each one a statement of hope for what the next part of their life would be like. 

Parker wouldn’t ever be good at the long con, but with the right outfit, she could run all sorts of grifts. 

She tried on a few, felt herself slipping into the skin on each one. She’d come out in it, trying a new walk while Amy and Peggy cheered and got progressively drunker on champagne. Sophie had come and as promised, Nana was there and if she judged Parker for her late start, she hadn’t said anything. 

Parker thought she found a nice one. It was very Alice White with little embroided and jeweled flowers dotting the neckline. It was light, so it didn’t make her panic like a few she’d tried with huge trains or layers of brocade. She was modelling it, basically doing the robot, while Amy directed her to sit and stand and stop and turn -- just to see how it flowed. 

Finally, Sophie came up to her and leaned in close like they were about to do a hand-off, but Parker’s hands were empty. 

“Parker,” Sophie muttered, “This isn’t working.” 

Parker’s face fell. “Why not?” She asked, too loud. “It’s a dress, isn’t it?” 

Nana uncoiled herself from the viewing couch. “I think we can all tell this is a bit of a joke.” 

Parker’s hands formed fists. “No, it isn’t. I’m shopping for dresses -- like I said I would.” 

Sophie put up her hands. “I think what Mrs. Hardison _means,_” Sophie eyed Nana, “is that this dress isn’t doing it for you.” 

“My Shauni cried when she put her dress on for the first time,” Nana said flatly. Parker, who had met Alec’s sister Shauni and knew her as one of the most practical and no-nonsense people in the world, could not imagine how that could be true. 

“Ali--Parker doesn’t cry,” Peggy put in, loyally, correcting herself before she slipped up and called Parker Alice. Which was another thing. Parker cried more than she used to, but at three times in six years, she didn’t think a dress was going to do it. 

Amy had her fingers on her lips. “Parker doesn’t wear dresses,” she said slowly. 

Sophie’s eyes lit up. “I have a man, in Paris. He works with the Queen of Jordan -- the younger one. He could do you a suit _literally _fit for royalty. The timeline is too tight for a full gown, but a beautiful suit? No problem.” 

Parker looked at Peggy who had her hands clapped in front of her face, eyes shining. Then she turned to Nana who looked at her for a second before walking up and putting her hands on Parker’s shoulders. “What’s most important is that you can stand before God with clear eyes and no regrets. If you can do that, then Alec is lucky to have you. It doesn’t matter what you wear.” And then she pulled Parker into a hug. The fabric of the dress Parker was wearing creaked. How could she have imagined she could wear this thing for another minute, let alone a full day? 

Sophie said, “Amy, a question about the Hindu tradition of the bride and groom dance performance, how much coordination is expected? If, say, Parker mostly stood in the middle and shimmied a little, would that be acceptable?” 

*** 

After the dress, it wasn’t like things got less busy on the wedding front, which is why Parker was surprised when Amy burst upstairs with a tray of jello shots and yelled that it was time to party. Parker had too much to do. 

“So why are we doing this?” Parker asked as Peggy arranged the pink sash on Parker’s shoulder that read ‘Bride’ in large sparkly letters. They were already shedding glitter onto Parker’s shirt, Peggy’s hands, and the floor. 

Peggy sighed, exasperated, “Organising the bachelorette party is my most important job, Alice. I mean, Parker.” 

“No, I mean, why are we doing this now?” The wedding was still a week away. 

“Because you wouldn’t let us take you to Vegas and Kananaskis offers a lot in the way of hiking but not a lot in the way of male strippers,” Amy said, passing over a pink t-shirt with cat ears on it that said ‘Squad’ in similarly sparkly letters. Peggy put hers on. 

“Nate! Take a picture,” Amy ordered, and she and Peggy draped themselves on Parker’s shoulders. 

“Bride Squad, I see, very clever,” Nate said, clearly drunk. “But why the cat -- ah,” Nate finished as Peggy shoved a cat ears headband on Parker’s head. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to come, Nate?” Parker asked desperately. 

“No, I have to stay neutral on this one.” Nate said, throwing himself into his armchair. 

Sophie perched on the arm of the chair, leaning into Nate. “Sorry, Parker, we’re going to have our own party,” Sophie said, staring into Nate’s eyes as she slipped her hand inside of his shirt. 

“Eliot?” Parker asked. 

Shelley stepped forward. “No can do, Parker. Eliot has already been commandeered for this evening.” Three other men nodded at the same time. The one in the cowboy hat even tipped it. They all had code names but she’d forgotten them already. There was a cougar, and maybe some sort of duck. 

Alec spoke before she could ask, “And my guildmaster is coming in to take me, Amber, and Jorge.” 

“Are we sure we’ve done enough background checks on this guy?” Eliot asked, “How do we know he’s real?” 

“Of course he’s -- Eliot, orcs aren’t real but that doesn’t mean the people in Warcraft are fake. I’ve known Jason Wang for years, of course he’s real.” 

Parker had other thoughts. “If Alec gets to take Amber and Jorge, can we all take Hardisons? I dibs Nana.” 

“You can’t -- woman. No one is taking Nana on any sort of night of debauchery.” 

*** 

The less said about the bachelorette, the better. 

There were a dizzying number of rules for Parker to remember, but the key one was no talking about her fiances or the wedding, which she broke almost immediately when she realized that Shelley had picked the same bar that Amy had. Parker said, “Eliot!” when she saw him and then had to drink a shot. 

“What are you doing here?” Parker asked, charging over to the group. 

Turned out there aren’t a lot of places to go in Portland if you’re looking for male strippers. 

“We hit the lady bar earlier,” Shelley explained, “but we had to get both flavours, you know?” 

Parker nodded solemnly. Her bones were feeling a little liquid-like and she thought that if pressed them up against Eliot, they’d stay in place and she wouldn't wobble. Good plan. Eliot wrapped his arms around her and she realized she could get closer. 

Their kiss was wet and sloppy but Eliot’s mouth was so hot it burnt her up. This was nice. But could be nicer. She pulled back. 

“I miss Alec,” she said straight into Eliot’s mouth. He nodded. She beamed. Eliot was the best, they were always on the same page. “I’m gonna call him!” she said. With a burst of energy she fished Eliot’s phone out of his back pocket, maybe squeezing a little more than was necessary. 

The bird groomsman whistled. 

“Eliot?” Alec shouted over the pounding music in the background. It was just off-beat with the music in their bar that it made Parker feel like her spine was going in the opposite direction from her spleen. She gritted her teeth, ignoring it. There were more important things. 

“Alec!” She shouted back. 

“Parker?” Alec sounded more confused. 

“We miss you!” That was the important thing. 

“I thought you were doing your parties?” Parker saw Amy coming towards her, on the warpath. Clock was ticking. She ducked behind Eliot, counting on him to protect her. 

“We’re looking at the same strippers!” At the same time, one of the gentlemen walked by in his shiny shorts and bowtie. She waved. He saluted back. “Where are you?” 

“Amber got us a party boat.” Alec sounded pretty amused. 

“On the river?” That didn’t sound like it was near here at all. She pouted. 

“Uh-oh,” Eliot said. “Wrap it up, Parker.” 

“I love you, Alec,” she raised up the phone. “Tell Alec you love him, Eliot!” 

Eliot turned around to face her and the phone. “I love you,” he said, eyes locked on Parker. She licked her lips. 

The next moment, the phone was being ripped out of her hands by the bird-man. Amy was pulling on her hand. Time to go. She nodded and let herself get dragged, but not before Eliot snapped his hand out to cup Parker’s face, gently. She felt her eyes fall shut as Eliot brushed his thumb against her cheek, just once. 

Then his hand was gone with the rest of his body and she was faced with Amy, hands on her hips. 

In the background, she could see Peggy yelling at Shelley, who mostly looked bemused. Her finger was way up in his face. 

“This one is really your fault,” Parker was proud of this argument, she thought it made many good points. 

Amy’s expression wavered. 

“So _you _should have to drink the shots.” Parker congratulated herself again, she should be a lawyer, she was so good at arguing. 

The only fun part of the evening was trying to do a reverse lift -- there was a word for that but after some number of shots her brain went wobbly to go with her legs -- on her personal dancer. She’d slide a bill in and then wait for the look of astonishment every time he noticed there was another one. 

It was a great game. 

But Parker was filled with nothing but regrets when she woke up the next morning. Alec was just as bad. 

Eliot, who gnawed glass and got punched for fun, was only doing slightly better and had managed to get his whole head under the sink faucet. 

Nate tutted at them quietly and all Alec managed to get out was a quiet, “Don’t --” before Nate produced a basket full of crispy fried bits that they all collapsed gratefully into. 

“Plant!” That was the word Parker had been looking for. She had been _planting _bills on the nice half naked man. 

The room was full of whimpers, including her own. 

“You’re all weak,” Nate chided the various lumps of wedding party strewn around the room. 

*** 

They were all recovered in time to head out to the Location, as Eliot referred to it. 

Parker had to admit, Kananaskis was beautiful. She preferred climbing in cities and going through urban nooks, but here the snow on the mountain tops touched the clouds, trailing evergreens down to grassland dotted with lakes that were the bluest shade of blue, like a field of emeralds set with sapphires. 

It was picturesque as all get out. 

The photography team Nate had recommended was in raptures. The dedicated drone operator was already zipping hers about getting some aerial shots. Parker, who had spent a lifetime evading and avoiding cameras, was struggling not to pop away, Batman style, every time one of them pointed a massive black lens of an eyeball at her. 

There was a lot more that was required for a wedding than Parker had thought, and according to Alec, for a wedding they needed pics or it didn’t really happen. So she was trying to hold still. But it was hard. 

“Carrie,” Sophie called over to Parker’s personal photographer, “Come along, we’re about to do a costume reveal.” Parker thought Sophie meant Parker’s suit, which she hadn’t seen yet. Sophie had just brought it now. 

Craning her neck, Parker saw Archie checking in but before she could go over, Sophie dragged her along. 

*** 

The bridal party went into the honeymoon suite. Carrie fussed with how open she wanted the gauzy curtains that covered the double glass doors that opened onto the mountain facing deck as Sophie pulled out the garment bag from her impressively large suitcase. Parker knew she was strong but Sophie had to be packing on that muscle too. 

But then it was the moment. Parker stood somewhat bemused as Carrie gave the thumbs up to let Parker know she was rolling. But then Sophie started to unzip the bag and Parker was riveted. 

The suit was raw silk, unbleached so there were periodic darker flecks in the fabric but still shiny. The pants were wide-legged and pleated a few times, the jacket sleeves were three-quarter length and sort of crinkled up but still would perfectly cover the short-sleeved blouse underneath. Tucked neatly on top was a matching raw silk chartreuse tie. The whole thing gave off this aura of movement and life, like it already had a person inside of it while it was hanging there. 

“Technically these are a palazzo pant although they are somewhat narrower than the traditional. There are braces as well to complete the look, the trousers should fit sufficiently on their own, though I suppose you never can be too secure --” 

Sophie cut herself off when Parker found herself breathing out a “Wow.” 

She turned to Sophie and gave her a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered into Sophie’s ear. “It’s perfect.” She beamed and turned to Peggy and Amy. “I’m going to look like Nancy Drew!” She saw Carrie in the corner, gently wiping her eyes. Parker had forgotten she was there. She had concerns about this one’s fortitude, if she was crying now she wasn’t going to make it through the ceremony tomorrow, Sophie had skills. 

They carefully tucked it all away for tomorrow, but Parker felt good heading down to the rehearsal dinner, knowing it was there. 

*** 

The idea of a rehearsal was weird. Parker felt like this was spoilers, but again, apparently it was required. 

“All right,” Sophie began briskly, clapping her hands together twice. “I have set up this room,” Nate coughed. “Nate has set up this room in a vague approximation of what the stage will look like tomorrow outside. There are three aisles, set up like so. Hardison, you’re on the centre aisle, Parker the left, Eliot the right.” 

Parker leaned in to Alec and whispered, “Aren’t we doing a Maypole? I really liked the Maypole.” 

Alec shook his head. “Nah, I needed her to religious up the wedding a bit. I need Nana to approve, you know? We compromised on a nice looking canopy, apparently lots of traditions do those.” Alec frowned a little. “Meant we also couldn’t Azeroth theme our wedding, but it had to be done.” Parker opened her mouth to ask but Sophie cut in. 

“If _someone _will stop _whispering,_ we’ll begin with the procession.” Sophie sounded harried so Parker mimed zipping her lips. “First the bridesmaids and groomsmen will walk single file, taking up their positions around the canopy.” Immediately, Shelley and Peggy went to the same aisle. “_Stage right_, everybody, _stage _right.” They got that sorted out. “Make sure you stand outside of the canopy but _not _where the candles will be, we do not need a repeat of the 2001 ‘pyre at the end of Norma’ incident.” Sophie shuddered, then visibly pulled herself together. 

“Alright,” Sophie said briskly, as the groups sorted themselves into the right columns. Or stage right columns. “Then the main parties will be escorted in by their respected community member.” Parker marvelled at the language. Sophie had really thought this through. 

“Well this is a bit of a to-do,” Archie observed, when he appeared next to her, putting out his arm. She smiled at him and tried not to giggle. Archie made everything fun. “Shall we?” He asked, echoing her smile in his voice. She nodded and they took their places. 

“You know,” Nate said loudly to no one in particular, “I could have walked up any of them, but it wouldn’t have been fair.” She noticed Archie’s hand grip harder on his cane, but Parker just rolled her eyes. Archie came all this way for her, and it was just like Nate to try to get into a Dad-off with everyone. Nate couldn’t possibly think he’d win. Of the available options, Parker would put her money on Nana. Maybe that was disloyal to Archie but she had to face facts. Toby, who was currently smiling bemusedly at Eliot, wasn’t even in the running. His access to foods and poison should have made him a contender, but he was too nice. At the end of the day, that meant Nana was the ultimate Dad. 

Sophie raised her voice. “The music will begin and you will _go,” _she said and Parker and Archie marched up. “No, no,” Sophie said. “You have to all go at the same pace.” Parker looked around, and she and Archie were way further up the aisle. “Respected community members, take a look around every few paces and adjust your speed as necessary.” 

The rest of the practice was like that. Stand up, walk slower, go there, make some space. It was a lot. Parker’s never felt so consistently out of place and on display. At one point Sophie told her to work on where she put her hands when she was touching Alec’s. 

They’d definitely earned their dinner afterwards. Parker was at a table with Archie, Peggy, and Amy. The small talk went well. Archie was doing well, his grandkids were doing well, he had some sharp comments about some show with dragons that had Amy and Peggy in stitches. Parker let it wash over her, happy knowing she didn’t have to do anything to impress these people and she didn’t have to worry about being weird at them. No one knew how weird Parker could be more than Archie; he’d fix it if there was ever a problem. She realised she’d missed him. Which was a bit of a new feeling and she wasn’t sure she liked it. 

Eliot had his own table with his three groomsmen and Toby, and Hardison had two bursting tables packed with an assortment of Hardisons, and more were coming in tomorrow. 

Parker got up for the restroom and when she got back, Nana was sitting in Parker’s empty spot talking to Archie. Parker tilted her head. It was weird. She hadn’t thought about the idea that maybe these different people would talk to each other. Her past life with Archie and her work life and her personal life were so separate but this wedding was bleeding them together, walls crashing into each other. 

Nana saw her and nodded. Standing up she said, “Looking forward to talking with you more tomorrow, Archie.” 

Before Parker could slide into her seat, Nana touched Parker’s arm and Parker paused. “I want to meet the people who are important to you, Parker, since we’re going to be family. Point them out to me tomorrow, okay?” Parker nodded but she thought, _You’ve met them already. _The people in this room were it. 

Parker sat back down but she kept an eye on Nana, watched her go over and sit down at Eliot’s table. Nana seemed like she got on with the paramilitary types over there. Parker wouldn’t be surprised if Nana could go into a drug lord’s compound and ten minutes later get everyone there smiling over a plate of cookies and willing to die for her. 

*** 

Finally, pretty exhausted, they got to go back to their room. Before she headed out, Parker went over to Nate. “Hey,” she said, grabbing his attention, “Is everything set for tomorrow?” She tried to put the stress in the right places to let him know what she meant and he looked around carefully before answering, which was very reassuring. 

“It was a lot of work, but yes.” She just nodded and scurried back to Eliot and Alec before they could wonder where she’d gone. 

Alec went to take a shower, but Parker had been given very serious instructions about her hair so she didn’t join him, even though he got really excited about the number and power of the jets. Eliot, who also had been given equally serious instructions said he’d take next shower. 

She just sat on the edge of the bed, bouncing a little as Eliot laid out his wedding outfit. It looked like a soft, almost beach version of what Parker was going to wear in charcoal-coloured linen instead of silk. Well, it was different; he had a light purple shirt with no tie, and of course the colour wasn’t the same. There was something about it that looked soft and touchable. 

Parker looked at it thoughtfully. “I thought you were wearing your army uniform?” 

He smiled at her, eyes crinkling. “So did I.” He put his garment bag back in the closet. “I told you I had this picture, right, of what a wedding looks like?” She nodded. She was probably never going to forget that whole meltdown -- the rare triple meltdown where they all got in on it. He wasn’t looking, but he kept talking anyway. “It was part of this whole life I thought I was going to have. I’d go to the army, do a couple of tours, marry someone in my nicely decorated uniform, you know, enough chest candy to show that I’d done something heroic.” She thought he meant decorated with medals but it would be cooler if he meant decorated with streamers or stickers. “Then I’d have a couple of kids in the same town my family lived in.” He shrugged. “Before I enlisted, I was so desperate to get out, but I always thought I’d go back, once I’d gotten the itch out.” He looked at her again and continued, “But the more I was gone the more I got different and that life didn’t fit anymore.” 

“Like your suit thing,” she summarised. 

He quirked his mouth a little. “Yeah. And someone really smart--” he nudged her shoulder with his, “helped me realise I shouldn’t keep expecting to fit into all of the trappings of a life I never lived.” 

She smiled back at him, eye crinkle to eye crinkle. 

Before she could say anything else, the door opened and Alec came out of the bathroom, still dripping a little from his chest into the plush robe he was wearing. 

“My turn,” Eliot said and pushed himself up. 

Alec puttered around a little, finding his moisturiser. 

“Did Nana talk to you today?” 

Alec scrutinised her for a second. “Yes, Parker. She talked to me a lot. But I’m getting the sense you mean something specific.” 

Parker made the same face Eliot did when he said the word ‘beautiful.’ 

“Does it bother you that Eliot and I don’t have as many important people as you do?” 

“I’m going to need you to back that one up for me.” Alec said. 

“Nana said she wanted to meet my other ‘important people.’” Parker made the air quotes. “But I don’t have anyone else. Does it bother you?” There were still twenty-five Hardisons coming in for this even after some people dropped out. 

“Uh-uh, no way. I’m more than happy to take you just as you are, including who is important to you.” He rocked back on his heels a little. “Does it bother you?” 

She shrugged. “Maybe it should, but I’ve got the people who matter.” Peggy would _care _if Parker got married and she wasn’t invited, cause she cared about Parker. And Parker would drop anything for her or for Amy, or Archie, or Sophie, or Nate. She hoped Alec knew he should count himself in that number. 

“Then that all seems good to me.” His eyes widened. “Unless you’re not good. Is this another ‘you don’t want to get married’ thing?” 

She rolled her eyes. “I’m good. I just--” she picked her way through her feelings. She didn’t want to say that she just wanted things to be good for him and Eliot cause she also wanted the wedding to go well. It’s just that this wedding thing had poked into so many knowing things holes that Parker had. She didn’t know what made a wedding real. Or real enough. “Is it enough?” She huffed a breath. “For a real wedding? Do I have enough?” 

Alec walked over and touched her shoulder. “You’re enough. Just you. We don’t need anything else. The three of us are enough for it to be real.” 

She gave him a bit of an eyeball. “If that were true, giving us pretty rings at Christmas would have been enough.” She poked her ring with her thumb, curling it against her palm. 

“It’s not --” Alec stopped himself. “All the people --My people -- well, Nana, mostly -- put a lot of time into taking care of me.” Alec didn’t often have so much trouble with his words, it was pretty cute. “And I know they -- she -- worry.” His shoulders slumped a little. “Ok, I’m really talking about Nana here. It’s exactly what you said about the ends of the Earth. She did so much for me and I just want to show her that I’m happy.” He straightened up. “More than that, I want her to be able to _tell _people that I am. A wedding she can come to is a very big provable way to do that. It’s like a beacon that we can ping back to any time. And I guess it’s the same more or less with the rest of them. Maybe not ride or die for all of them like I think you are with yours, but still something special.” 

Parker wondered what that would be like. Until Archie, people came in and out of her life and some of them had an impact. Like the guy who taught her to drive and then left her to get picked up for juvie. Had an impact. But then she never saw him again and she doesn’t really think about it or care what he’s up to. Parker didn’t have middle people -- they’re either in her life or they aren’t. Alec’s got more of a range going on. 

Still, she thought he was underselling. “But you would for some of them.” 

A huge smile broke out on Alec’s face. “Oh yeah, for some of them I’d ride to the end of the Earth.” 

She offered her fist and Alec leaned back to give it a bump. She wondered where Eliot had got to. 

“Eliot!” She called out 

“I’m coming! I just--” and then some muffled cursing. Parker snickered. 

He stepped out, hair dryer in one hand, flat brush in the other. “This is harder than it looks, all right?” 

“Well put your dryer down, I come bearing gifts.” He went over to his suitcase, tugging his robe on a little tighter to get it back on track from where it was starting to slip off of his shoulder. Eliot looked torn, but shrugged and dropped his implements off. Alec continued. “According to German tradition, the legal stuff is done the night before.” Sophie had really infected them all with her wedding research. 

“Back to the legal thing,” Eliot interjected. “Did you steal us a country? ‘Cause last I checked nowhere let three people get married.” 

“I thought about it--” 

“Really?” Eliot’s eyebrows were pulled all the way down. 

“No.” After Alec’s admission, Eliot’s eyebrows snapped back up. “But I do have documents for you to sign.” Alec pulled out a folder, Parker caught a glimpse of the names. _Tom Baker _and _Tom McGann; Emma Hackett _and _Barney Wickens. _No two documents with the same names. 

It clicked. “This is our aliases.” 

Alec nodded. “Not all of them but we are all married to each other in every jurisdiction I could manage it.” 

“So we’re already married?” Parker asked. 

Eliot glanced over the papers. “Well, technically Paul Darrow and Jacqueline Pearce are married.” 

“Oh, is that how it is?” Alec asked, but he was already stepping into Eliot’s orbit. 

Eliot was nodding, “Yeah, that’s how it is.” Eliot reached out to pull Alec into a soft kiss. Parker’s heart pushed against her ribs. When they broke apart, Alec stroked his hand on Eliot’s face. With his other hand, he reached to pull Parker in, eyes sparkling, and she went, so easy. 

*** 

“Hey Alec,” Parker said, staring up at the blackness that was the ceiling with the lights out. “How come you’re the only one who didn’t freak out about your outfit?” 

Parker heard rustling. “I did.” Alec’s voice was sleepy. 

Parker was shocked. “Really?” 

“I just did it all over the Hardisons until cousin Tyrell’s wife hit me with a colour theory book. Apparently she’s very into fashion.” 

“If you two don’t shut up right now,” Eliot growled. 

Parker waited. Eliot said nothing. A second later she realised he was asleep. _Fair enough, _she thought, and followed him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Wedding day (W-Day). This one got away from me a bit, so I'm splitting this out into one more chapter. Also in case anyone is worrying, this is pure wedding fic, they are going to get married. I did not spend this much time researching wedding traditions for that not to happen.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My deal with myself was that I wouldn't write the ceremony unless it made me cry. That's not a promise, but just in case anyone is worried about shenanigans, this is wall to wall emotions going forward.
> 
> This ceremony is a mishmash of documents, pulled from the Anglican liturgy, the Unitarian planning guide, and the B'rit Ahuvin (Lover's Covenant).

The next morning was way too early. Parker barely had a chance to sip the orange juice that was delivered to her door by a delightfully unphased man called Nareen. One moment she was petting Alec while crunching toast, the next moment there was an onslaught of bridal personnel. First was Amy, touching her hair and declaring it acceptable, then was Peggy with a pitcher of mimosas and it was topped off with a Sophie. All the while Carrie and Cindy fluttered around documenting every moment of Alec attempting to burrow under the pillows. 

Amy started setting her hair. She had a basket of small white flowers, which, Parker assumed, were part of the process somehow. Parker got her answer when she saw Amy placing them carefully in the loose but very complex braid Amy was putting into her hair. It made her hair look like a rushing river with flowers dotted in it like little rocks breaking the water into eddies. 

Parker was bemused. She turned to Sophie. “Is this why your people call it ‘knocking up’, instead of waking up? Cause it’s so overwhelming?” Parker had said that once, that it was time to ‘knock up’ a mark and get the ball rolling. Parker had been thinking about it ever since. She thought maybe this counted, cause the whole situation was a bit of a shock, like when the porters dropped the crate someone was hiding in down a small flight of stairs and knocked the contents around a bit. Not that that had ever happened to her. 

Sophie stared at her, dead eyed. “You better not be trying to tell me anything right now, Parker. I am under a lot of pressure right now.” 

Parker retreated. “I was just asking!” 

“Well just don’t,” Sophie snapped back. “This is a very big day for me.” 

The room stopped as everyone turned to stare at her. Even Alec pulled the pillow off of his head. 

Sophie looked around and seemed to realise the room was against her. “I could have phrased that better,” she admitted. 

Eliot snorted before going to lock himself in the bathroom. 

Parker frowned. “Where’s Nate?” 

Sophie waved a hand, vaguely. “He didn’t need to be here for this.” 

Parker tried to project the obvious question to Sophie using only the power of her eyebrows. 

“I’m here to do your makeup, obviously.” 

Parker marvelled. Sophie looked at her tenderly, then reached out to brush a strain hair out of Parker’s face, ignoring Amy’s squawk. “I wouldn’t make you sit through a stranger touching you. Not today.” 

“That’s so nice,” Parker said seriously, “since it’s such a big day for you.” 

Sophie groaned. 

*** 

Parker was bored. 

She was pacing in the staging area with Alec, and Eliot, and Nate, and all of the respected community members, and they would all just eddy out of her way when she brushed by. 

They were supposed to start five minutes ago but there was some delay with the harp or whatever. 

Parker was just about to start her next circuit of the space when Kaye Lynn stepped out, saw them, and froze. Eliot was over in a second. 

“This isn’t the restroom,” Kaye Lynn said. Parker closed her eyes. Kaye Lynn was a nice person, good songwriter, worthy person to get helped by Leverage if for no other reason than they all got to hear Eliot sing for the first time, but stealthy she was not. 

“Kate Lynn?” Eliot asked incredulously, dropping his hand from where it had been fiddling with his shirt-cuff button. He went over to her, “Is something wrong? What are you doing here?” 

She opened her mouth and Parker braced herself for the worst lying anyone had attempted since the first time Alec tried to con someone, but Nate stepped in. 

“I hired her,” Nate said, all confidence, “to sing.” 

Immediately, Eliot melted. “You came for us?” He was smiling at Kaye Lynn. 

Kaye Lynn swung herself to her full height. “Yes. This is the case.” 

Parker looked over to see if Alec was buying it. He was squinting at Kate Lynn, suspiciously. 

“Well!” Parker said. “If you’re going to sing, you should probably get out there!” She gave Kaye Lynn a bit of a push of the arm, turning her around. “Good save,” she muttered and Kaye Lynn nodded really quickly. “We can’t start without you!” 

Kaye Lynn turned and fled. 

“You alright there, Parker?” Alec asked, carefully. 

She nodded. And nodded again. “Yep,” she said. 

“You sure?” Alec asked. 

Parker went to nod again and realised she had a small tremor, just in her fingers, but Parker had the stillest fingers in the business, so that couldn’t be right. She stared at her fingers, willing them to quiet down. A second later, Archie put his hands on hers. “She’s fine,” he said, looking her in the eye. 

As soon as their eyes met, Parker felt her breathing slow, just a little. 

Parker heard the music change and Nate said, “All right, places.” 

They went out through the door and Alec and Eliot stopped immediately. Parker could see why. Instead of the fifty or so chairs they’d planned for, there were hundreds, each filled with someone they’d helped over the years. Parker could see Hurley and General Flores and so many others sitting and chatting. Everyone was smiling. Most of the time when they saw these people, they were having the worst day of their lives. But today everyone was happy. 

Alec and Eliot looked back at her and she smiled. “Go to your places,” she whispered, waving her hands. Instead of going, they each grabbed one of her hands. 

“Parker,” Eliot started. 

“Go,” she said, and his eyes were shining as he went. Alec just shook his head slowly, wondering, and followed. 

They all found their correct aisles. Parker could see Sophie up there at the canopy in a black robe with an incredibly bright painted scarf-thing draped around her neck. 

The music changed, and the crowd rose. 

Peggy made hard eye contact with Shelley and they were off, steps in unison. 

“You know, Parker,” Archie said. “I am so incredibly proud of you.” She looked over at him, startled. “I never made it easy for you to share your feelings.” 

She shook her head, “I’d have bolted if you’d tried.” 

“I knew that, and I respected it. I’ve always respected you. You’re fierce.” Parker felt her heart squeeze. 

“Are you saying goodbye?” People didn’t talk like that unless they were dying. She’d listened to enough videos left by stranded loved ones to know that for sure. 

“Never.” He gripped her hand. “I’m saying hello to the you that you made. It takes real courage to find what you love and open yourself up to it.” 

Parker didn’t know what to say. 

“Now, let’s show these amateurs how to walk with style, hmm?” He raised an eyebrow and Parker felt herself snap back in, laser focused. She could maybe admit now that possibly that pacing in the ready room hadn’t just been because she was bored. But having Archie here made her feel confident. It was his superpower, like Eliot’s was making her feel comfortable, and how Alec made her safe. 

“Let’s do this,” she said, and immediately ruined the effect when she realised the song hadn’t started. 

But then Kaye Lynn turned, and opened her mouth, and sang: 

_Whither thou goest, I will go_

Parker took a breath, and Archie took her arm. Kaye Lynn was crooning, drawing out the vowels like sticky syrup. 

_Wherever thou lodgest, I will lodge_

They were off. Parker focused on Sophie and put one foot in front of the other. Kaye Lynn kept singing. 

_They people shall be my people, my love_

_Whither thou goest, I will go_

And they were up there. Archie let go. Parker stared at Alec, who glowed in his grey three-piece suit, purple vest buttons. Eliot was there too, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from either one of them. In the corner of her mind she recognised Peggy trying to work her bouquet out of her hands so she tried to let go. It was surprisingly difficult. 

Silence reigned and for a deafening moment Parker could swear she heard all of their heartbeats, pouding the same beat. 

Sophie cleared her throat. 

“Dearly beloved,” she started, and this must be the traditional type of stuff Alec was talking about. “We have gathered here today to witness and affirm the commitment that these three people have made to each other. Through the bond of enduring love, Alec, Eliot, and Parker have made a home together. This commitment is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but made with deliberation reverence. The celebration we join today is the outward symbol of this inward relationship, made real and living within the lives of those who share it, as Parker, Eliot, and Alec have chosen to do. 

“Parker, Alec, and Eliot ask their community to bless their household and honour the choice they have made to form a sacred and enduring union, affirming their intent to strengthen and cherish the relationship they are building together. 

“Will you witness them?” Sophie asked. 

“We will,” the crowd chanted back, a wall of sound that lifted Parker up. She rode on the crest of their affirmation. 

Eliot had turned his head slightly and was looking out at the crowd with awe. 

“As they have chosen to form a household, they make promises not only to each other, but to their community. Please read the first of their vows.” 

With the smoothness borne of all the practice yesterday, Peggy stepped forward. She smiled at them. 

“Hi,” she said, and took a deep breath. Speaking into her mic, and loud enough to be heard by the crowd, “Do you promise to set each other apart, forming a covenant of devotion like that between David and Jonathan, as Jonathan loved David as himself? A covenant of commitment, like that between God and Zion, as it is said: I will espouse you forever. I will espouse you with righteousness and justice and love and compassion. I will espouse you in faithfulness and you shall know God.” 

Peggy’s voice shook a little on some of the trickier words, but she got them all out. Parker was so happy Peggy was there. It was foiling the Venezuelan bombing plot with Peggy that had made her realise how happy she was with Alec in the first place. 

This one was an easy one to answer to and Parker was perfectly on cue when she said, “I will,” with Eliot and Alec in perfect unison. 

“Thank you, Peggy.” Sophie turned to them. She was deadly serious and when she raised her hands Parker could almost see the power she was pulling up with them. “You have made the promise of commitment. May the sharing of your lives with each other bring you out of the loneliness of the isolated self. 

“I now call upon you to make the vow of devotion.” Sophie nodded to Shelley, who stepped to the front. 

His steps were precise and he nodded crisply to Eliot before speaking. “Do you promise to assume all the rights and obligations that apply to family members: to attend, care, and provide for one another? Do you pledge that you will commit yourself to a lifetime together, swearing to help each other at the time of dying by protecting each other from indignity or abandonment, and by providing a tender, faithful presence, for love is stronger than death?” 

Parker has thought it was the end for them many times and it’s never gotten easier, but she knew that when she’s worried about the worst, when the guns are pointed at them, or they’re stranded without hope of rescue, she wanted to turn towards the men she loves -- not run away. “I will,” she said. 

“Thank you, Shelley.” Sophie said. “You have made the promise of devotion. Life is the process of growing and changing. Your relationship must keep unfolding, but if you can keep in step to go forward together, your marriage will remain a source of strength. Inevitably there will be times of tension and conflict,” Sophie wasn’t saying anything Parker didn’t know, but she still tensed. She didn’t like to think of them fighting, she liked it when they all got along. She knew better than anyone how stressful their lives were, how hard it was for them to understand each other sometimes. They were such different people. 

Sophie was still talking, “but if these moments of conflict are openly acknowledged and faced, you will find new meaning and richness in your shared life together. 

“A quote: ‘Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping, for only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together, for the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow. - Kalil Ghibran.” 

Parker knew there was only one more promise. 

“Your marriage is not only a bond between individuals, but a commitment made in community; it has ramifications into the lives of relatives, friends, and the world at large. I ask you to make a vow to the wider world.” 

Amber stepped up. She tripped a little on the toe of her shoe and Parker watched Alec visibly hold himself back from lunging forward. Amber might be the older sister, but Alec was always going to be there to catch her if she fell. 

“Do you,” Amber trailed off, eyes wide at the crowd. 

“It’s ok,” Alec said, quietly, and Parker knew someone else could step in, but Amber planted her feet and continued. 

“Do you,” she started again, more confident, “commit yourselves to a life of kindness and righteousness, setting your home as a place of peace, where those that need it can find shelter? Do you promise to make your home a place where personal preoccupations do not tower over concern for others, forming a covenant of protection and hope?” 

Alec was crying now, eyes clear and wide as tears rolled down his cheek. In some ways, Parker thought, this was the first promise, the one that came before all the others. If they had not committed themselves to helping other people, they never could have committed themselves to each other. And Parker knew just how important it was for Alec to make this promise where Amber could hear him, where his family could hear him. 

Parker knew her answer, but she also knew Alec couldn’t speak yet. She looked over at Eliot who was already looking back at her, eyes clear. Surreptitiously, she reached out, just a little, and brushed the back of her hand against his. 

Alec swallowed and Parker breathed in when he breathed in, saw Eliot doing the same. “I do,” they said. 

Sophie was looking at them, eyes full of pride and love. 

“You have heard the vows that Eliot, Parker, and Alec have made. All those who are comfortable standing as witnesses to this commitment, I ask you to rise now and light a candle as a symbol of your commitment and devotion to this union and the individuals inside of it.” Sophie’s voice was clear, and it carried across the crowd and towards the flower covered mountain behind her. 

Before she was finished, Parker started to see the small flecks of light as their guests lit and passed candles until the sand tables behind them were filled and they spilled down the aisle and Parker was surrounded by a ring of warmth and light. Every single one of these people was someone Parker knew and had bled for and was now standing up to say: I’m here for you. 

If Parker was feeling it, she knew it had to be worse for Eliot. Parker had never even wanted anyone to like her or be her friend, but Eliot had wanted to be part of something so bad and thought he’d lost his chance, given it up forever. 

She looked at him and now he was crying. “Love in community,” she whispered, reminding him of what he’d told her. He nodded, tears dripping off his chin, barely darkening the suit below. 

Sophie leaned in towards Parker. “Should we take a break?” She sounded worried, nodding her head towards Alec and Eliot. Alec had mostly gotten himself under control and Eliot was doing that thing where he wiped his nose and basically pretended there wasn’t water coming out of his face. “I can get Kaye Lynn to sing something.” 

Parker was about to say _maybe?, _when Eliot cleared his throat and said, “Naw, I’m good, let’s do this.” 

It took a second for the crowd to settle after all the fire, but when they did, Sophie said, “Thank you for witnessing. Love cannot be kept in the dark, it must be brought into the light. 

“Parker, Eliot, and Alec will now exchange personal vows.” 

Parker was supposed to go first, but Eliot asked, “Can I?” so Parker waved him forward. 

Eliot reached out and grabbed one of each of their hands. “Before I met you, I wasn’t good for much.” Eliot said it matter-of-factly, but it shredded Parker’s heart. “You gave me a place, and a purpose. When I’m with you I feel like the grumpiest, luckiest, best supplied man in the world because when I’m with you I don’t have to hide anything about myself.” Eliot straightened. “And so I promise to always be right behind you wherever you want to go, and I’ll even make that incredibly sugary breakfast that is going to make you vibrate out of your own skin one of these days.” 

Parker and Alec laughed a little, and Eliot smiled back at them, mouth closed but eyes so bright he outshone the candles. 

“Please light the candle,” Sophie instructed. On the table between them there was massive candle with three wicks. Eliot turned to the sand tables full of their smaller, lit candles and hovered for a second, indecisive before he picked one at random and used it to light the first wick of the central candle. 

Sophie gave Eliot a small pat on the back as he settled back into his position. 

“I have to follow that, huh?” Alec said. Then he reached out to grab their hands. “Y’all believe in me, which is a corny thing people used to say in the 90s, but in my case because of you, I can do anything. I wake up and I know I’m literally invincible, cause no matter what you’ll catch me.” This is literally true, Parker has jumped off buildings and caught Alec mid-fall. “So I promise I’ll remember that sometimes you need me to pick you up, too, and that I will always be there for when you decide you need something, cause I trust you to tell me when you need me. There’s no one in the world I trust more than both of you.” 

Parker had to blink fiercely. She remembered when she couldn’t even talk about how she felt about him. She said she wanted pretzels of all the stupid things -- but Alec didn’t make her feel stupid, he made it ok. He trusted her to tell him what she wanted, what she needed. And in turn she trusted him to give it to her. 

He went and added his flame to the candle. 

They both turned to look at her, expectantly. Parker could feel Sophie staring. “Um” she said. Parker had prepared her little speech, she’d practiced it with Amy and Peggy and they’d told her it was hilarious. 

She couldn’t give that speech, she wanted to say something real. 

“When I’m with you, I feel useless,” she blurted out and gripped their hands tight so they couldn’t flinch. “I mean, you both said that when we’re together you can do stuff or have purpose, but because of you, I know it’s ok to do nothing sometimes, cause you’ll help me out. It’s ok when I don’t know how to do something, or don’t want to cause I’m not alone.” Parker realised she was panting a little and drew in a breath. She was surprised to find that it was wet. But she didn’t want to cry, not yet, not til she was done. “You’ve never once told me how to feel and because of that, I can feel anything. So,” she remembered she had to do the vow part, “I promise to take breaks sometimes and to let myself become whoever I want to be, because I trust you’ll be right there with me the whole time.” Then she let her eyes blur just a little, cause she’d made it through. 

She grabbed her candle, lit her fire, and with all three wicks lit the flames merged into one. One big fire out of many little ones. 

Then she grabbed their hands. She was one hundred percent ready for this to be over so she could squeeze them within an inch of their lives and never let them go. 

Sophie was talking again, Parker tried to pay attention. “--let the light you have kindled together illuminate your lives and the lives of others through both sunshine and shadow in the days to come.” 

Sophie breathed and Parker reminded herself to breathe with her. Eliot and Alec were squeezing her hands so hard and she was squeezing them right back. 

Sophie smiled at the three of them and Parker realised she was smiling back. Possibly derangedly if the strain on her mouth was any indication. The corners of her mouth felt like they were literally touching her ears. 

“You have made promises to each other in the sight of God and the company here assembled and solemnised them through the rings you exchanged previously. Those circles are symbols of the sun, and the earth, and the universe. They represent wholeness and peace. Your use of these rings expresses in visible form the unbroken circle of your love, which you will carry with you as you return to this shared life together. 

“You are now henceforth married.” The words rang in Parker’s head. “Go now to walk the ways of the world together, and may your days be good and long upon the earth.” 

And that was it. It was done. 

Hand in hand, they turned to face the crowd, to thunderous applause. 

Parker’s eyes sought out Nate, smiling and crying and clapping. _Thank you, _she mouthed. 

_It was all you, _he mouthed back and put his hand on his heart. 

They took their first step down the stairs, mindful but Nana yelled out, “Wait!” 

Parker froze. She couldn’t take it if Nana had a problem. Was there not enough Jesus? Sophie said all sorts of God stuff. They needed this to be good for Nana most of all. But Parker already felt like her heart had gone through a cheese grater -- in a good way -- and she needed a break. 

“Where’s my kiss?” Nana had her hands on her hips and Parker realised she’d been smiling the whole time. 

Eliot burst out laughing as Alec reeled him in. Parker wasn’t going to wait though and jumped up, wrapping her legs around Eliot to pepper them both with kisses. Eliot buckled a little under the weight, but Alec braced him and they kept kissing til Parker couldn’t tell where she began and they ended. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Later, at the reception.
> 
> Jorge, casually grabbing some vol-au-vents.
> 
> Emily Margold: so, what did they do for you?”
> 
> Jorge: ‘Scuse me?
> 
> Emily Margold: You know. Like, for me they rescued my specially engineered potato
> 
> Jorge: What.
> 
> Potato lady, continuing: Eliot beat up a Value-Mart supervisor for that guy over there, or like when Alec learned that violin solo to liberate Wadata from corruption.
> 
> Jorge: WHAT
> 
> Nate, skidding in from across the room: so, Emily, I see you met Alec’s BROTHER
> 
> Emily: ...oops
> 
> Thanks so much for reading this! Comments are loved, even if you copy a line. This one was a labour of love (lol) and I'd love to hear if anything worked for you.


End file.
